The influence of adjustment, mental health and motivation on graduate student learning strategies during COVID-19

Managing learning efforts and self-regulation skills are crucial for academic performance. Graduate students are considered more mature and utilize more sophisticated learning strategies than undergraduates. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, they may have struggled with challenging academic tasks, transition to online course modality, and additional family responsibilities. This study examines how graduate students’ adjustment, mental health, and motivation impact their use of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies. An anonymous online survey was distributed via Qualtrics between November and December 2021. The survey incorporated a demographic questionnaire, College Adjustment Test (CAT), Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and selected subscales from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). The study gathered responses from 301 graduate students enrolled at a large southeastern university in the United States. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The final model suggests that mental health and motivation factors may significantly and directly impact SRL strategies. Within the model, mental health factors, such as stress, seem to positively affect SRL strategies, while depression suggests a negative impact. Intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy in motivation had a positive influence on SRL strategies based on the model. Additionally, graduate students’ adjustment could influence their use of learning strategies via the mediation of these mental health and motivation factors. The opposite effects of positive and negative adjustment, as mediated by stress, depression, intrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy were also discussed.